In the winter of 2006, the life of 38-year-old Romelia Vargas was tragically cut short in a brutal act of violence that was part of a larger crime spree that had been terrorizing the Phoenix metropolitan area. A female, Vargas was working alongside Mirna Palma-Roman in their lunch truck in February when they were viciously attacked. The two women were discovered hours later, having succumbed to their injuries at the scene.
The investigation into their deaths would eventually link them to
a string of murders, sexual assaults, and kidnappings that had plagued the city. The perpetrator was identified as Mark Goudeau, who would become known as the 'Baseline Killer'. Goudeau's reign of terror cast a long shadow over the community, as he targeted victims in their everyday routines, creating a climate of fear. His crimes were characterized by their randomness and brutality.
Following the identification and arrest of Mark Goudeau, he was tried and convicted for a multitude of crimes, including the murders of Romelia Vargas and Mirna Palma-Roman. In the wake of these events, the family of Romelia Vargas, specifically her husband Alvin Hogue, filed a lawsuit against the Phoenix Police Department. The suit contended that procedural delays in the testing of DNA evidence from an earlier sexual assault case, which was later linked to Goudeau, allowed the killer to remain at large and commit further atrocities, including the murder of Vargas. Goudeau was ultimately sentenced for his numerous violent crimes.
